Admissions Policy 2021
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PLEASE NOTE THIS POLICY IS CONSIDERED DRAFT UNTIL APPROVED AT THE NEXT MEETING OF GOVERNORS ADMISSIONS POLICY 2021 - 2022 September 2021 Intake The Published Admissions Number (PAN) for the Year 7 entry is 300. This level has been agreed by the Local Authority. As the admission authority, the Governors of the Academy give priority for places to children whose parents/carers have requested a place, using the application form provided by your home local authority and submitted (to the Local Authority) by 31st October 2020. All children whose statement of special educational needs (SEN) or education, health and care (EHC) plan names the school, will be admitted before any other school places are allocated. If the school is not oversubscribed, all applicants will be offered a place. In the event that the number of applications exceeds 300, the places will be allocated in the following priority order, until all places are filled: 1. Children who are looked after and previously looked after. Looked After Children who, at the time of making an application to a school, are: ▪ In the care of a local authority, or ▪ Being provided with accommodation by a local authority in exercise of its social services functions Previously looked after children are children who were looked after, but ceased to be so because they: ADMISSIONS POLICY – 2021 - 2022 1 ▪ Were adopted under the Adoption Act 1976 or the Adoption and Children Act 2002, or ▪ Became subject to a child arrangements order, or ▪ Became subject to a special guardianship order 2. Children permanently residing in the normal catchment area at the time of admission. 3. Children who have an elder sibling in Years 8 to 11 who will still be attending the Academy at the proposed admission date. 4. Other children whose parents have requested a place. 5. Children whose parents did not submit a request for a place by the published closing date. Places will be allocated to children in category 1 first. If there are insufficient places for all applications in category 2 or 3, places will be randomly allocated in the relevant category only. The process of random allocation will be undertaken by an independent third party. If places still remain following allocation in categories 1-3, then priority will be given to the applicant in category 4 whose permanent address is nearest to the Academy. This is measured by a straight line from the centre of the child’s main ‘dwelling’ to the Academy using the national Ordnance Survey set points. In category 5, places will be allocated in the same order of priority as for categories 1-4. Where children in category 5 have equal priority, places will be allocated by random allocation. Parents/Carers wishing to seek a place for their child at Chellaston Academy should, in the first instance, apply for a place by contacting the Admissions Team at Derby City Council http://www.derby.gov.uk/education-and- learning/schools-and-colleges/secondary-school-admissions/. The City Council will either offer or decline a place in relation to the Admissions Policy and Academy PAN (Planned Admission Number). If the placement is declined, Parents/Carers may wish to appeal against that decision, in which case they should follow the Appeals Procedure outlined in The Guide for Parents in Appendix 1 of this Policy. Notes a. The normal catchment area includes the suburban area of Chellaston, the villages of Aston-on-Trent, Barrow-on-Trent, Melbourne, Stanton-by-Bridge, Swarkestone, Ticknall and Weston-on-Trent. The new housing development currently known as Fellow Lands Way, will be excluded from the catchment area of Chellaston Academy and added to the catchment area of Noel Baker Academy. The change relates to new housing only at Fellow Lands Way and will not impact on existing properties. The area is shown on a plan which is available for inspection in the Academy office by prior appointment. b. For the purpose of admissions, a sibling is classed as a brother or sister who lives at the same address and either: have one or both natural parents in common; are related by a parents marriage; are adopted or fostered by a common parent or are unrelated children who live at the same address, whose parents live as partners. ADMISSIONS POLICY – 2021 - 2022 2 (A brother or sister must normally be living at the same address. Cousins are not classed as brothers or sisters). c. The Academy reserves the right to verify information supplied and if false information is used in order to gain a place, the Academy will refuse or withdraw the place offered. Requests for admission outside the normal age group for September Year 7 intake Parents/carers are entitled to request a place for their child outside of their normal age group. In accordance with the School Admissions Code, this will include taking account of: ▪ Parents/carers’ views ▪ Information about the child’s academic, social and emotional development ▪ Where relevant, their medical history and the views of a medical professional ▪ Whether they have previously been educated out of their normal age group ▪ Whether they may naturally have fallen into a lower age group if it were not for being born prematurely ▪ The headteacher’s views These parents/carers will need to make an application alongside children applying at the normal age which should explain why it is in the child’s best interest to be admitted outside of their normal age which may include information such as professional evidence as to why this is the case and why an exception should be made in the case of the child. Such applications will be considered on the basis of the admission arrangements laid out in this policy, including the oversubscription criteria listed. The decision as to whether this is the appropriate course of action will be made by the Local Authority who will take into account the circumstances of the case and views of the Headteacher. Parents do not have a right of appeal if they are offered a place at the Academy, but it is not in their preferred age group. In-year admissions You can apply for a place for your child at any time outside the normal admissions round. As is the case in the normal admissions round, all children whose statement of SEN or EHC plan names the school will be admitted. Likewise, if there are spaces available in the year group you are applying for, your child will always be offered a place. If there are no spaces available at the time of your application, your child’s name will be added to a waiting list for the relevant year group. When a space becomes available it will be filled by one of the pupils on the waiting list in accordance with the oversubscription criteria listed in this policy. Priority will not be given to children on the basis that they have been on the waiting list the longest. Applications for in-year admissions should be submitted on the local authority application form, in line with the standard application process. ADMISSIONS POLICY – 2021 - 2022 3 APPENDIX 1 - CHELLASTON ACADEMY ADMISSIONS APPEALS – GUIDE FOR PARENTS/CARERS Source of Information The guidance contained in the Academy Guide for Parents/Carers is based upon information from: a) School Admission Appeals Code Of Practice published by DfE, Date of Issue 1 February 2012, and created after the School Standards And Framework Act 1998 (as amended by the Education Act 2002) If parents wish to obtain a copy of this publication it can be downloaded from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-admissions-appeals-code If your child has been refused a place at Chellaston Academy, you have the right to appeal against that decision. Appeals are heard by an Appeal Panel, which is independent of the Academy and acts in accordance with the Appeals Code of Practice (2012). Introduction The letter, from the Local Authority (LA) or the Academy, telling you that the Academy has decided not to offer a place to your child, should make clear the reasons for the refusal. You should consider very carefully whether or not you wish to appeal against the decision. You will need to consider the following points: ▪ the Academy's policy for admitting students as published in the Academy prospectus ▪ the specific reasons given for not admitting your child ▪ your reasons for wanting your child to attend the Academy and the strength of your case ▪ alternative schools available. You may wish to visit these schools and/or speak to the Headteachers of those schools. How to make an appeal The letter from your LA will contain: ▪ Information on where to obtain an Appeals Application Form ▪ Information on where to send your notice of appeal and by what date Your appeal must be in writing. You should think carefully about the original reasons you gave for wanting your child to attend the school. You can add more information on the Appeals Application Form. All information will be made available to the Independent Appeals Panel before the hearing. It is important that the Appeals Form is returned as soon as possible. The information should include copies of any letters or documents, such as medical evidence, if you wish it to be used at the hearing. This must be sent with the Appeals Form and it will be passed on to the panel members. Confidentiality will be maintained. Further information can be produced at the hearing but it must be remembered that members of the panel and the governors’ representative will not have had time to study this information. Consideration of any additional information will take place during your 15-minute hearing.